Book Readers

Description

This is a place for those who still love to have a book in their hands to share and discuss books, reviews, and ideas. The blog is dedicated to Mum who wrote four books and more than fifty stories and other Authors. Mum passed away at 93 without seeking publication. Her books and stories range from Murder/mystery, Suspense and Romance. Her first book was published March 2008 called "Ladies of Class" a Detective, Murder Mystery story. Enjoy fellow readers!

Friday, July 24, 2015

Masterfully crafted by Carl Dulinsky, fusing his own
life story with the word of the Lord, ‘His Masterpiece: Discovering the
Greatness Within’ calls all Christians to rise and shine by seeing humanity
through the Master’s eyes. Dulinsky’s amazing transition from life in prison to
freedom is enough to compel any reader to revel in the hope that exists within
everyone. It’s already an Amazon bestseller and changing lives from coast to
coast.

Mi-Wuk Village, CA–When Carl Dulinsky
was sitting in prison at the age of nineteen facing a life sentence, recounting
his days of drug dealing and gangs, he didn’t think that he’d one day be a
bestselling author, pastor and inspiration to thousands of Christians. In his
debut book, Dulinsky shares this most powerful of journeys while simultaneously
calling readers to embrace God’s power.

Everything is showcased in ‘His Masterpiece:
Discovering the Greatness Within’, which shot to #1 in its Amazon category and
enjoyed a lengthy residency at #15 out of all Christian books. It’s a story
that fuses fate with faith, taking readers on a journey from the author’s
darkest days to his captivating redemption.

Synopsis:

In a world
that is crying out, “Look at me,” or “This is who I am—deal with it,” what are
we to do as Christians?

Follow the example of the world? Fit in? Clash and fight?

The battle lines have been drawn, and the war is being fought on the
battlefield of identity. Who am I? Is there any purpose to my life? If so, what
is it? Have I blown it and missed my chance?

In His Masterpiece, Carl Dulinsky helps readers answer these questions,
pointing them to the greatness God has placed within them. With transparency
and candor Carl shares his own journey from childhood abuse, leading to a
lifestyle of gangs, drugs and ultimately prison. As he chronicles his own road
to redemption, Carl uncovers for readers the immensity of God’s love and care
for his children.

This book is a glimpse at humanity through the Master’s eyes. He is not mad,
but excited to see His people rise and shine.

“I want to bring peace and victory to the Christian
walk; to empower others to live with hope and joy instead of despair and fear.
I’ve experienced life’s worst and should probably be either dead or locked up
forever. However, I found God or better yet, he found me. If other Christians
can learn to embrace God’s love, they too can triumph through the worst
adversity,” says Dulinsky, who founded the CrossWalk Discipleship
Program with his wife, Danielle, in 2010.

Continuing, “God reached out to me, lifting me from
the pit of destruction and saving my life. However, I’m not special; this is
God’s unwavering ability to forgive and see the potential in everyone. My story
is a bold demonstration of this.”

To date,
Dulinsky’s work has garnered rave reviews. Shelah comments, “These pages
contain such a simple message that doesn't rub religious nonsense in your face,
but takes what God says in his word about you and who you were created to be
and encourages you to not give up on the process.”

Natalie adds, “This book is phenomenal. Simple and easy to read, but
incredibly impactful. This book didn't just show me what I want to be or
“could” be - it showed me who I am, and who God is currently in the process of
making me; who I was destined to be and who I am becoming. It reveals who we
truly are -our identity- according to God and shows the importance of truly
knowing who He is and who we are in Christ.”

Book Readers Review

The
description of the book His Masterpiece by Carl Dulinsky provides an excellent
glimpse into the content. Readers will discover answers
and ways to answer questions about the
meaning of life, ‘Who am I’, ‘What is my purpose in life’. Dulinsky directs us to seek and understand
the greatness God has placed within each of us.
The message is simple and in no way preaching or pushing religion as the
answer to all our problems. I found this
refreshing and encouraging.

Carl
has based the novel around his own life experiences and events that have
changed his life. This approach helps to
put a realistic view to complex issues such as religion, morality, abuse, and
many more. I would highly recommend all
to read and digest the ideas, concepts, and messages Put forward by
Dulinsky. I received a copy from the
author in exchange for an honest review.

‘His Masterpiece: Discovering the Greatness Within’,
published by Kudu Publishing, is available now: http://amzn.to/RqRVo2.

Carl Dulinsky is known for his passion and excitement
to know God and make him known. He and his wife, Danielle, are the founders and
directors of CrossWalk Discipleship Program, where young adults are trained and
equipped to impact the world with the love and mercy of God. After a turbulent
childhood that led to drug abuse and a prison term, Carl found freedom in
Christ. He has been teaching the Word of God since 1998 and has been in
full-time ministry since 2009. Carl and Danielle are the proud parents of a
beautiful daughter, Moriah. They make their home in Northern California.

Lieutenant
O’Toole’s goal is simple: someday he wants to become an admiral. But in a few
moments, his life will change . . . forever. Yesterday, the marines stormed the
beaches of Guadalcanal. Today, the Japanese Navy will strike back. The sudden
and horrific carnage scars O’Toole for life and throws him into the abyss of
survivor’s guilt and posttraumatic stress.

The
Pacific War does not wait for O’Toole to heal. Duty calls, each new assignment
brings more responsibility, and the roll call of the fallen grows. At the Battle
of Mujatto Gulf, O’Toole faces a superior battle-hardened Japanese fleet and
discovers the strength within him to climb from the abyss and find his true
life’s mission. To the fallen, he vows never to abandon that mission no matter
how high the cost.

Pump Up Your Book Tours is pleased to bring you Larry Laswell’s Vows
to the Fallen, a historical fiction / military / sea story novel
from July 15 – August 31, 2015.

About the Author

Larry Laswell served in the US Navy for eight years. In navy
parlance, he was a mustang, someone who rose from the enlisted ranks to receive
an officer’s commission. While enlisted, he was assigned to the USS John
Marshall SSBN-611 (Gold Crew). After earning his commission, he served as main
engines officer aboard the USS Intrepid CV-11. His last assignment was as a
submarine warfare officer aboard the USS William M. Wood DD-715 while she was
home ported in Elefsis, Greece.

In
addition to writing, Larry, a retired CEO fills his spare time with woodworking
and furniture design. He continues to work on The Marathon Watch
series, an upcoming science fiction series titled The
Ethosians, and an anthology of over eighty humorous sea stories
titled A Ship-load of Sea Stories & 1 Fairy Tale.

Guest Post

Part of my inspiration for Vows
to the Fallen is to explore various aspects of post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD). I discovered PTSD is a multifaceted challenge facing all
service members.

In World War II, they called it
shell shock, and the army’s primary focus was on the physical and emotional toll
combat takes on a soldier. The horror of combat and the psychological stress of
life-threatening danger stretch soldiers to the breaking point. However, humans
are like rubber bands and are capable of snapping back after being
stretched—that is, until we have been stretched so many times that there is no
elasticity left. In World War II, when the elasticity was gone, men had the
1,000-yard stare; they became almost catatonic.

That is but one facet of PTSD.
Modern warfare and training methods have created another. After World War II,
General Marshall conducted a survey and discovered that only 25 percent of
infantry soldiers had actually fired their weapons at the enemy. This was a
startling discovery that the army saw as a problem. The army discovered that
the fear of killing another human being was greater than the soldiers’ fear of
death. It was universal, and it occurred on both sides of the battlefield. Up
until the time of the study, soldiers had been trained to spot the enemy,
deliberately take aim, and then fire. This gave the soldier time to think about
what he was about to do.

To solve this problem, the army
started training soldiers on simulated battlefields with pop-up targets and
laser guns; training became a nonlethal contest or game. The objective of the
training was to teach the soldiers to fire on reflex before conscious thought
and conscience could intervene.

We can see the results of this
training now. Once away from the battlefield, soldiers have time to think about
what happened and the lives they have taken. Soldiers have been trained to kill
without thought, but the military didn’t teach them how to think about killing.
The problem is how soldiers should deal with the issues of morality,
conscience, and guilt once they leave the battlefield. This is but one other
facet of PTSD.

A third facet of PTSD, and the one I
focus on in Vows to the Fallen, is what I call the burden of command. A
good example of this is the internal battle Tom Hanks’s character in Saving
Private Ryan fought. As an officer he had to look his men in the eye and
give orders that he knew would lead some of them to their deaths. This filled
him with self-doubt: “What if I had done things differently? Would more men
have survived?” He also had to deal with his conscience: “How many men have my
decisions killed?” In short, he was filled with guilt, grief, and self-doubt,
none of which he could show to his men.

I set Vows to the Fallen
aboard destroyers in the South Pacific during World War II. I touched on each
of these facets but focused my exploration of PTSD on the burden of command
shouldered by the lead character, O’Toole. O’Toole struggles with his guilt and
grief and tries to make sense of his role in the war. He desperately searches
for a positive purpose in his role as an officer. In the end, he finds that
purpose in a surprising place—in the roll call of the fallen.